


She remembers

by NYS30



Series: Shady Mariah Drabbles [1]
Category: Luke Cage (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-23 23:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8347270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYS30/pseuds/NYS30
Summary: Mariah doesn't remember him....at first





	1. She remembers

“Do you remember me from when I was a kid?”  
“No.”

At the time it’s not a lie. She’s got way too much to deal with to stop and try to recall if she knows him.

It doesn’t come all at once, it’s there in her periphery just hovering, but the more he talks, the clearer it becomes.

When he starts talking about Mama Mabel and her place in the community.

When he mentions how much weight the Stokes name carries.

When he says she’d be surprised at what she’s capable of when she finds the nerve (and boy, does she find it, Cornell can attest to that)

It’s when he looks at her like she is the answer to all his problems, that she remembers a skinny Puerto Rican kid looking at her the same way. Eyes swollen, lip split, but shoulders straight and still ready to take on the world. 

She remembers Mama Mabel taking him on as one of her errand boys, and later, one of Cornell’s friends that would always be hanging around when she came home from Howard on break. It’s on one of those breaks that she sees he’s got ANOTHER black eye (this kid stay getting his ass beat) she thinks and takes pity on him. 

She tosses him an old pair of shades “Put these on, until you can back up all that shit you’re talking, we can’t have you scaring your mom (there’s enough there already for her to deal with, but that’s a whole other matter) 

She remembers his genuine smile that morphs into a smirk when Cornell comes back from the corner store.

She remembers the phantom weight of his gaze even through his shades (kid seriously has no clue on how to be stealthy) 

She remembers how he never took them off, except when he spoke to Mama Mabel (and later she realizes that courtesy extends to her as well) 

Oh yes, she remembers him. And as he hands her Mama Mabel’s gun back, she wonders how she could have ever forgotten him.


	2. He remembers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's waiting for her to remember him

“Do you remember me from when I was a kid?”

“No.”

He’s expecting the answer, but it still hits somewhere deep. The skinny kid with the swollen eyes and split lip coming to the surface with a vengeance to make her remember, because he does.

He remembers the power her family name once wielded (and will again if he has anything to say about it)

He remembers that he was once one of those that benefitted from that power (never again ma, I made sure of it this time)

He remembers being absolutely awed that the one time she went toe to toe with Mama Mabel Stokes, Miss Mabel backed down (although that may have had to do with her Uncle Pete being around, something was not right there, but he never could put his finger on it until later)

He reminds her that she has power, real power, buried underneath politics and superficial bullshit to make the changes that she is so desperately campaigning for. When she finds the nerve to unleash that power, it’s like he’s that awed fifteen year old kid all over again. 

He’s sure she remembers him now. And as he hands her the champagne bottle that signifies their partnership, he knows he’ll always remember her face when he came back from the dead.


	3. Rooftop

Tone’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

 

“……was breathing, you seemed non-committal.”

At that, the one called Shades glances your way. You can’t see his eyes, but something tells you that you’re both in danger of rolling your eyes so far back, they might get stuck.

“So I made an executive decision.” Tone continues enthusiastically.

Cornell laughs “That’s what you call it? An Executive decision, okay so you caught him slipping outside?”

Shades looks off in the distance. It’s nighttime, on a roof in Harlem, and he’s wearing his trademark shades, but you can both see the writing on the wall. Tone is going on and on about some movie shit Django, Quentin Tarantino, who knows.

“I suggested….we wait” His tone is even, concise, and straight to the point. You think your assistant Alex could learn a lot from him.

Evidently this sets Tone off and he’s babbling some nonsense about being part of the crew and giving orders, honestly you’re only half listening. You’re more interested in watching him. He doesn’t falter or change his mind, nor does he argue back. He doesn’t shrink back like Tone does when he slips and calls Cornell by his hated nickname. 

A few appeasements and Cornell is slipping back into his genial demeanor. He’s talking about donating money to help Pops rebuild when off comes the shades, and you feel your heart drop.

“Pops is dead” Even, concise, and straight to the point. You’re so focused on him that you’re completely taken by surprise when someone (Turk? you think he said) comes up and demands his money.

After that it’s a bit of chaos. Tone goes overboard, Turk (wisely) leaves the scene. Cornell hands you the ill-gotten money and instructs you to leave through the side exit. “You shouldn’t be seen associating with known criminals….councilwoman.”

You feel his eyes on you as you leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally decided to put all these in one spot.


End file.
